What Should an 11 Month Old's Diet Be?

by
APRIL FOX July 18, 2017

April Fox

April Fox has published articles about homeschooling, children with special needs, music, parenting, mental health and education. She has been a guest on Irish radio, discussing the benefits of punk rock on child development, and currently writes for several websites including Carolina Pediatric Therapy.

An infant eating with a spoon in a high chair.
Photo Credit: ipekata/iStock/Getty Images

The first year of baby's life seems to fly by, and before you know it your little bundle of joy is preparing to walk and beginning to talk. His nutritional needs have changed tremendously since his first weeks of life, and by 11 months, he's capable of eating many of the same things you eat. He's not quite ready for an adult diet yet, though.

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Drink Up

Children shouldn't be given cow's milk until they're at least a year old. At 11 months, your child still needs to have breast milk or formula to drink. She can have up to four ounces of noncitrus fruit juice. Apple and white grape juices are good choices for 11-month-old babies. Offer juice in a cup, not a bottle, since the sugars in the juice can damage baby's teeth. Never put her to bed with a bottle to avoid "bottle rot" as the milk, formula or juice pools in her mouth and coats her teeth.

Yum, Mushy Stuff

Put a big bib on your baby, cover the floor under the high chair with an old sheet, and let her practice eating soft foods with a spoon at the end of a feeding. Cooked, mashed fruits; mashed potatoes; oatmeal; and macaroni and cheese are easy for baby to eat and stick to her spoon fairly well. Yogurt and cottage cheese are often favorites of the barely-under-one crowd.

Protein Power

When and How Much

At 11 months old, your baby should be able to eat regular meals--breakfast, lunch and dinner--with a couple of snacks in between. A general guide, suggested by Baby Center, for this age is 1/2 to 1 cup of fruits and vegetables daily; 1/4 to 1/2 cup of protein-rich or combination foods like casseroles; 1/3 cup of dairy foods or 1/2 ounce of cheese; and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cereal with iron. When you introduce a new food, wait three days before introducing another one, so you can watch for an allergic reaction. Symptoms of a food allergy include hives, vomiting and coughing. Your 11-month-old should not have honey, peanut butter, or any type of nuts.